


No More

by speedgriffon



Series: Dragon Age Inquisition: Aurelie Trevelyn Fics [17]
Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: Angst, Character Death, F/M, minor action/violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-03-11
Updated: 2015-03-12
Packaged: 2018-03-17 08:19:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,588
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3522104
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/speedgriffon/pseuds/speedgriffon
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>On their way back from the Winter Palace, a skirmish in the Forstbacks goes horribly wrong. (Angst prompt from Tumblr)</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

It was snowing; soft waves of white fluff littering the ground as Aurelie walked along the mountain trail. Usually, she complained about the cold, and the way the snow could keep her trapped in Skyhold if it fell hard enough. Today, though, she was glad for the familiar scenery of the Frostbacks, after being away for so long. For nearly a week she had been stuck in Halamshiral, overseeing negotiations between Celene, Gaspard and Briala. The three were fierce debaters, harsh words spoken in every sentence. But, Aurelie didn’t feel confident in leaving the Winter Palace until the trio could at least _pretend_ to work together.

Perhaps the only consolation was that every night, in her private royal apartment, Cullen would sneak in to see her- and after staying up much too late talking and laughing, they’d fall asleep in each others arms. It was a luxury she didn’t have in Skyhold, and she didn’t want that bliss to end. Still, she knew she couldn’t stay in Orlais forever, and the Inquisition marched. Josephine and the other dignitaries, including Morrigan had traveled ahead, leaving Aurelie with her companions and Cullen. The three-day trip was made easier with the addition of chevaliers; Empress Celene had insisted they travel to Skyhold to learn about the Inquisition.

Many spoke about the various rumors they heard; how they had a _magister_ , a _dragon-slayer_ and Red Jenny herself. Other questions included just _how_ ‘their lady herald’ closed the fade rifts that plagued the land and sky. Behind her, as they walked, she could still hear them hoping they could see her in action.

Iron Bull and Dorian egged them on, boasting about stories of demons and rabid wildlife and how she had killed them. Cassandra would only sigh at their exaggeration. Aurelie laughed under her breath, before glancing to find a steed approaching her side. Cullen peered down at her as he slowed his horse into a trot, holding back his grin as she flinched away. Didn’t he know she was terrified of them? He called it ironic, considering what she now did for a living. Childhood fears were forever, she argued.

“Are you sure you want to walk?” He asked. Aurelie nodded, even as her feet started to ache. They were a day’s walk from Skyhold, and she knew the incline would be even harder on her body. But, she was stubborn. Cullen stopped, and she paused to observe the way he outstretched an arm to her. “Come on, Aurelie- don’t overdo it.”

He was right, she admitted to herself, and huffed. She reached up to him, before pulling back as she saw a flash of red in the corner of her eye. She held up a hand, Cullen copying her to still the group behind her. Quickly, she took note of the small camp of Red Templars in the clearing a few yards ahead.

“What are they doing here?” Cullen asked, already dismounting to land in the snow next to her.

She appreciated his concern, and the way he instinctively turned his body to shield her, sword drawn- but she stepped away, reading the situation. She counted; one, two, three- her stomach tightened at the sight of a behemoth. She was about to direct her group when she noted Iron Bull’s surprise and she whipped her head around to see the cause, her resolve nearly breaking at the sight of a pride demon stomping down from the other side of the path. They were about to be cornered by two different types of enemies. The anchor in her hand flared, sparking loudly in contrast to the quiet environment. Aurelie hissed, the magic much more powerful than when she willingly harnessed it. Cullen eyed her, his role as commander taking over as his expression steeled. His men awaited orders.

“It’s a fade rift.” She explained. So the soldiers would get their demonstration after-all. Almost immediately, other demons followed down the path, the eerie green light following the horde. “Truly, I am blessed.” she didn’t mean for her sarcasm to be so harsh, but when she heard Bull and Dorian chuckle from behind her, she tried to relax. Cassandra only pursed her lips, and brought up her shield, ready for direction.

“Maybe we should rush them, and hope for the best?” Bull suggested.

“The last time we did that, we attracted _four_ bears, _six_ assassins and killed so many innocent nugs with fire it should be written in the history books as a massacre,” Dorian argued.

Aurelie could feel the adrenaline pumping through her veins, and her heart raced in a way she wasn’t familiar with. Fear? _Excitement_? She took a large breath in to steady herself before reaching to draw her weapons out. The moment she did, the situation shifted as the demons took note of their presence, almost simultaneously alerting the Templars. 

“Massacre it is!” Bull yelled.

They leapt forward; the tingle of Dorian’s barrier magic dancing across her skin as he stayed back. Cassandra and Iron Bull charged forward ahead of her, and she half expected to see Cullen join the pair, but instead found him on her trail, guarding her flank. Inquisition and Orlesian soldiers spanned outwards, running to create a barrier in which the enemies were surrounded.

Aurelie quickly got lost in the ambush as more demons spilled from the fade rift, and struggled to keep her gaze fixed on any one of her companions. Dorian’s barrier reignited around her and kept her safe as a Red Templar met her daggers with a sharp blade. She felt Cullen’s presence behind her, his back nearly touching hers as he fought off demons from her flank.  She kicked the Templar away and almost laughed as a fireball came over her shoulder, igniting him instantly. Her heart was racing again, and she gripped her weapons until she could feel her knuckles crack- she couldn’t see what she was doing as she slashed out blindly towards anything red, anything green, anything that looked larger than her.

“ _Aurelie_!” The noise of battle made it impossible to tell who had screamed her name. She turned to where it came from, only to meet another attack from a red knight. She thrust her blade into his sternum, twisting it sharply before tossing him aside.

In the blur that followed, she could only feel the behemoth’s footsteps echoing around her, and before she could react, it was before her, lurching out to attack. In the same moment, a strong hand met her side, and she looked to find Cullen pushing her aside and out of the monster’s reach. She tried to resist, but found his strength too much to fight and she stumbled into the snow.

“ _Cullen_!” She screamed for him as he took the brunt of the blow, the red giant knocking him into the air before he fell yards away. Aurelie’s world slowed as she followed his body, fear building up in her heart. She thought to run after him, before her sense of duty came crashing down around her. Aurelie felt her fear disappear as her rage built in an instant. She snapped her vision to find Cassandra, who was already looking at her from a few feet away as she pulled her sword from another enemy. Aurelie nodded her head, pointing to the tree line where Cullen had been thrown.

“Pull back!” She yelled, tossing her daggers into the snow before reaching her hand to the sky. “And _GET DOWN_!”

She didn’t wait to see if her group had listened before focusing on the energy within herself, feeling the mark spread as she willed it to listen to her. Another fade rift appeared, this time of her volition. She supplied it with her power, breathing in deep as her fingers spread, offering the anchor all she had to give. She had never felt it so _alive_ \- so filled with energy. She had to wonder if the anchor was feeding off her emotions. In an instant, the demons and remaining enemies were destroyed. When she felt the anchor’s flare start to give out, she snapped her fist closed, ducking and rolling away at the last minute when the one remaining enemy, the behemoth, swatted at her again.

“ _Inquisitor_!”

Aurelie landed awkwardly on her right wrist as she dodged the attack, wincing as she heard the crack before feeling the break. As the monster hovered over her, she struggled to grab at the spare knife at her belt, before watching as a large sword, followed by a smaller one plunged through the beast’s chest. She rolled out of the way as it fell with a loud grunt, snapping her head up to see Iron Bull and Cassandra on top of the behemoth, pulling their weapons from its back.

“That was _badass_!” Bull cried, his arms in the air as he observed the battlefield, laughing at what corpses lingered, untouched by the rift.

Aurelie shook her head, clutching her wrist to her hand, hissing at the instant pain. Dorian was the first to notice as she struggled to stand. He came up behind her, scooping his arms under her to help her but she brushed him away. She moved, quickly; stumbling to where Cullen was, back flat to the snow. She landed next to him, arms reaching out before pulling back, unsure if it was wise to touch him. Dorian followed, his expression dropping as he realized their commander’s situation was _far_ worse than her broken bone. She tried to steel her emotions, but could feel the tears prickling her vision.

He was completely still, sword and shield stuck in the snow next to his hands. There was a large dent in his armor, an even larger tear across his chest where blood was already spilling out. The snow below him was stained with red, it growing darker as more pooled from his wound. Her chest felt hallow, as if her heart had left her body- _no_ , as if it had been torn out. Aurelie lowered her body closer to his face, eyes scanning his features for any sign of movement. She held her hand above his lips and nose, praying that she’d feel the warmth of his breath, see the puff of air in the cold.

“Aurelie _.”_

She heard Dorian’s voice, laced with sympathy. She immediately denied what his tone alluded to, pressing her hands into the fur of Cullen’s armor, squeezing desperately. She shook him- once, twice and when there was no response, she felt her body go numb. Aurelie felt her body crumple as a cry racked her to her core- tears stinging as they fell from her cheek, onto his face. This couldn’t be happening, she thought in agony- just an hour ago they had been laughing, kissing when nobody looked, talking about spending time together once they arrived in Skyhold. To think, in one quick skirmish, his life- their future- had been taken. She couldn’t loose him like this; not when they were just getting started. It wasn’t fair- _it wasn’t fair_.

Aurelie felt Dorian’s hands meet her shoulders, but he failed to pull her from Cullen’s side. She wasn’t going to leave him, wasn’t going to let go. A small piece of her believed that if she stayed, he’d miraculously breathe out, as if he was faking. If she allowed herself to be peeled away, the reality would crush her soul. Iron Bull tried to tug at her next, but even his grasp was hesitant, and she easily pushed him away, no longer caring how openly she wept.

Nothing mattered, not anymore. 

 


	2. Alive

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I wanted to write a follow-up, because I couldn't just leave it like that... could I?

There was no way of knowing how much time had passed when Cullen felt the waking world greet him; minutes, hours—days?

As his senses returned, he felt warm, thick blankets covering at least half his body. The mattress beneath him was soft, and comfortable, but foreign to him; it was not his own. A cool draft from afar swept across his face, pulling him further into reality. He breathed in, and smelled the ash of a dying fire, still wondering where exactly he was. He struggled to remember how he even fell asleep, let alone how he found himself in such a cozy bed.

Slowly, he peeked open his eyes, but struggled to see anything familiar in the dim lighting. Cullen tried turning his head, but found the ache in his neck holding him back from moving too quickly. He briefly made out the night sky, the full moon hanging in a way that shined light across him. He blinked, harder, to clear the blur from his vision. Gradually, he recognized the stained glass windows and the canopy that hung over him.

His heart started up in a fast rhythm; how did he end up in Aurelie's room? He had been in her private quarters before, but had no reason to _ever_ be in her bed. The last thing he remembered was Halamshiral; waking up nightmare free for the fifth consecutive night. Aurelie was there, as she had been every night they stayed in the Winter Palace. He recalled the sweet smell of her hair, the way her body radiated warmth, and how it felt pressed tightly against him as he held her in his arms. He remembered… _blood_?

His memories came rushing back in an instant—an ambush of demons and Red Templars in the Frostbacks. He was struggling to protect Aurelie’s flank, but she moved quicker than he anticipated. Every step she took in the direction of enemies had him taking leaps to catch up to her. She wasn’t reckless, but her wild slashes at the air had him worried. When the behemoth caught her off guard, he threw her out of the way without thought. He had no recollection of what happened next; only hearing faint whispers around his ears, the trickle of wetness on his cheeks before the world went dark.

Now, he realized he was lucky to be alive. As he fully regained consciousness, he felt the pain in his neck radiate throughout his body. There was definitely something broken, and he could feel bruises along the side where he had been hit. His chest ached with every breath, warmth radiating from his torso. With a shaky hand, he touched there, only to hiss at the instant pressure. Cullen agonized over his injuries, at the sight of the many bandages, stained red with his blood. He prayed under his breath that Aurelie was safe; then all of this would be worth it. He closed his eyes, feeling his momentary burst of energy waning. Just when he felt exhaustion pulling him back, he felt the mattress shift, a soft sigh echoing in his ear.

Cullen snapped open his eyes, and turned his head, ignoring the sharp jolt of pain that sparked through his spine. He sighed, surprised at the sight before him. Aurelie was on the bed next to him, her legs curled up slightly as she slept a considerable space away. Her body was atop the layers of blankets, and he frowned, knowing how cold she got when she slept. To compensate, she wore a thick house-robe over her usual cotton nightdress, but he could still see the slight shiver on her lips. 

Even in the darkness of her room, he could see how pale her face was, so different from her typical glow. Her hair had fallen over her face, and he struggled to touch her, rolling his body a fraction to reach. Hesitantly, he pressed a few fingers to her cheek as he brushed back the auburn waves. As far as he could tell, she was unharmed, not a scratch in sight. His fingers trembled as his arm gave out, and he winced as the weight of him sent a ripple through the mattress.

Aurelie’s brows knitted together in confusion as her eyes fluttered open, her expression dazed for the brief moment it took for her to recognize that he was awake. Her eyes widened, and she exhaled loudly, gasping as she pushed herself up on one arm. Cullen fell back against the bed as she leaned over him, her other hand snapping to his forehead. Her breathing was instantly erratic, eyes darting quickly as she scanned his face. He looked up at her, feeling his heart leap at the sight of her panic.

"Maker; you're awake!" She exclaimed, voice cracking as her hand fluttered away from his face to his shoulder, then his chest, fingers splaying out as she pressed her palm over where his heart was. He could feel it beating fast against her touch, and she pursed her lips, holding back another strangled cry. "You're _alive_."

"I am?" Cullen was confused by her choice of words, and suddenly wondered just what had happened to him. He knew he was injured, but how badly? He felt no worse than he did any other time he was hurt in battle, and yet Aurelie's expression spoke volumes. Her eyes glazed over with a blanket of tears and he painfully reached an arm out, wanting to comfort her.

For a moment she leaned into his touch as he ran a hand down her arm, before she closed her eyes tight, shaking her head. A few stray tears slipped free as she shuttered. She leaned to settle against him, but snapped away the moment he groaned; the weight of her adding a discomfort he didn’t expect. He cursed the situation, wanting to ignore the pain if it meant holding her close. Aurelie hesitated before shifting away from him, moving her body to the edge of the bed. 

"I should get the healers- they've been waiting for you to wake up," she explained, her gaze dropping away from his face. Quickly, Cullen grabbed her hand, gently tugging her back into place. Aurelie knelt next to him again, reaching her hands away from his to tug her robe closed. She looked back at where his body was, but struggled to make eye contact. Now he was worried; was she all right? Her body language was so timid, something he was not used to seeing in her. He leaned up on one elbow, gritting his teeth at how the simple movement took so much energy from him. It hurt to sit up, to be closer to her, but he wasn't about to let Aurelie run off. He reached his free hand out to her face, fingers cupping her chin as she glanced at him for a fast second.

"What happened?" He asked. "Are you alright?"

Aurelie didn't answer immediately, but finally allowed her eyes to meet his. Cullen locked onto them, his breath hitching when he realized how red and sunken in they were. She had been crying, and for a long time, if her expression was any proof. Her lips quivered as she steadied her breathing.

"Am I alright?" She whispered, copying him. Her hand was shaky when it met his fingers, holding his palm to her face. She laced her fingers into his, her grip tightening after a moment. "Maker, Cullen, you—you were dead." Her voice broke, breath hitching as she held back a sob.

Cullen widened his eyes, nearly choking on his own breath. He couldn’t believe her- how? How did all this happen? Aurelie's tears flowed faster.

"You weren’t breathing… there was blood _everywhere._ Dorian kept checking for a pulse, but there was nothing. He used _so_ much healing magic trying to bring you back- and when you finally breathed… I begged, _pleaded_ for Dorian to revive you- stabilize you so you could come home. He exhausted all his energy bringing you back. I- I wasn't going to let you… die." She trailed off, eyes turning downcast as she whispered. “I wasn’t going to let you leave me like that.”

Cullen leaned up further until he was sitting, frantically trying to wrap his arms around her after she had spoken. Aurelie melted against his chest, her touch cautious as her hands curled around his shoulders, fingers tightening in his hair, palms rubbing the skin of his shoulders before stopping to rest on his back.

"You've been unconscious for days," she continued, in a softer voice. Cullen frowned, guilt raking his body and mind. He had been foolish during the attack, did not think of the consequences when he threw himself into danger. Aurelie had always been capable with her power, had always defeated her own enemies, no matter the size or threat. He wasn't indestructible, like she seemed to be— _was_. To think he was so close to leaving Aurelie, just when their love was blossoming. Seeing her, hearing her cry into his chest made him regret his actions even more; how would she have reacted if he didn’t recover?

"I'm here." It was the only words he could offer. "I'm sorry. I'm here." He repeated.

He tightened his grip around her, tucking his head against the crook of her neck when he felt his own tears surfacing. Together they cried, Cullen pressing the softest of kisses to her temple and cheek. He whispered comforting words to her until she fell asleep in his arms and left a lingering kiss on her lips. He leaned against the headboard, propping up pillows so he could rest comfortably. No matter the pain, he felt relief in knowing Aurelie was there; that she had fought for his life, just as he had saved hers. He was alive; and couldn't wait to live the rest of his life with her at his side.


End file.
